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New Career Exploration Laboratory

LAVAL, QC, June 8 /CNW Telbec/ - The Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board
held today, in presence of Laval mayor, Gilles Vaillancourt, Minister of
Education, Recreation and Sports, Michelle Courchesne and Senator Leonidas
Housakos, Canadian Senate, its inaugural ceremony for the opening of its new
career exploration laboratory. This state-of-the-art laboratory will allow
students to explore specific career areas and gain hands-on experience by
carrying out small projects with industry-standard equipment.
"In the first phase of this project, the target clientele will be the
secondary III students in the Laval, Laurentides and Lanaudière regions of our
school board. However, access to the lab will eventually be extended to all
students of other school boards, English or French, within our network and to
the community at large as well." says Mr. Steve Bletas, Chairman of the SWLSB
who added that the high-tech career exploration lab is the first of its kind
in the English sector.
This endeavor is completely self-financed through educational and
business sector partnerships which have allowed the school board to realize
this major undertaking. The following partners have made this possible:
- Caisses Desjardins de Laval, Laurentides et Lanaudière
- Conférence régionale des élus de Laval
- LEARN (Leading English Educational and Resource Network )
- Ville de Laval
- Five Laval deputies and members of the National Assembly of Québec:
- Mrs. Michelle Courchesne, Member for Fabre, Minister of Education,
Recreation and Sports and minister responsible for the Laval region
- Mme Francine Charbonneau, Member for Mille-Iles
- M. Alain Paquet, Member for Laval-des-Rapides
- M. Guy Ouellette, Member for Chomedey
- M. Vincent Auclair, Member for Vimont
- BMW Laval
- CSSSL (Centre de santé et de services sociaux de Laval)
- CLD (Centre local de développement de Laval)
- CCQ (Commission de la construction du Québec)
- Groupe Montoni Division Construction
- SEPB 577 (SWLSB Administrative support staff union)
- Tourisme Laval
- Sir Wilfrid Laurier Foundation
- Tourisme Québec and
- INRS (Institut national de la recherche scientifique)
The career exploration laboratory consists of 16 modules, each offering
over 10 different activities. The modules are; Transportation Design,
Robotics, Graphic Design, Meteorology, Vinyl Signmaking, Flight
Transportation, Nutrition and Wellness, Hospitality and Tourism, Global
Positioning System, Biotechnology, Computer Animation, Digital Photography,
Engineering Structures, Electronics, Rocketry and Space and Home Maintenance.
The Chairman of the school board explained that the Career Exploration
Laboratory initiative is one that the board has been elaborating over the past
three years. "Sir Wilfrid-Laurier prides itself on thinking ahead, being
"avantgardiste" and always thinking out of the box." he declared.
The career exploration laboratory is located at the school board's
vocational training centre; Laurier Competency Development Centre- Pont-Viau.
Students will be using these facilities as soon as the new school year begins
in September 2009.
The Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board offers educational services to more
than 15,000 students in 38 schools and 5 centres, and has a workforce of
nearly 2000 employees.